TOM JEFFERY APPOINTED AS NEW DIRECTOR GENERAL

27 Oct 2003 08:45 AM

Tom Jeffery has been appointed as the first Director General for Children and Families at the Department for Education and Skills, Permanent Secretary David Normington announced today.

Mr Jeffery will lead the new Directorate which was formed after the transfer of responsibilities for policies on children and families to the Department for Education and Skills in June. He will be responsible for advising the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Charles Clarke and the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, Margaret Hodge.

The new director will play a central role in achieving the Government's goal of delivering fully integrated children's services and the commitments put forward in the recently published Green Paper, Every Child Matters. Mr Jeffery will formally take up his new post on 10 November.

Mr Normington said:

"I am delighted that Tom Jeffery is to be the first Director General for Children and Families in the Department for Education and Skills. His appointment is another important step towards delivering truly integrated services to both children and families and realising the direction outlined in the Government's recent Green paper on children, Every Child Matters. Tom's experience in the fields of social care and education policy will be a major resource to the Government as we pursue this agenda.

"Tom's appointment also rounds off, in the best possible way, the complete re- designing of the Department for Education and Skills top management team over the last two years. I am confident that we now have a team in place that will deliver on the Department's ultimate ambition to deliver world-class services to all children and learners and to be a strong leader of the education and training system."

Mr Jeffery said:

"I am honoured and thrilled to have been offered this appointment. We have a once-in-a- generation opportunity to secure lasting change for children and families. I look forward to working with Ministers and colleagues across Government, in children's services and in the voluntary sector to make a reality of the vision set out in the recent Green Paper".

NOTES TO EDITORS

This Press Notice applies to England.

1. Tom Jeffery is a civil servant with long-standing experience and expertise in the field of education and social care. He has led work in Department for Education and Skills on low achievement, behaviour and attendance at school, special educational needs and extended schools. As Director of Children's Services in the Department of Health between 1998 and 2000, he led the Quality Protects programme and set up the NHS Plan Children's Taskforce. Tom has been closely involved in cross-government projects, including Sure Start and the work of the Social Exclusion Unit on teenage pregnancy and the education of children in care.

2. Tom joined the Department of Education and Science 1981 and has had a wide and varied career including a spell as Principal Private Secretary to Rt Hon Kenneth Baker when he was Secretary of State.

3. Tom Jeffery's appointment completes the reshaping of the Department for Education and Skills' top management team. In addition to the Permanent Secretary, the Board now comprises 4 operational Director Generals (for Children and Families, Schools, Lifelong Learning and Higher Education) and Board members for Strategy and Communications, Corporate Services and Finance. Five of the Board have been appointed from outside the civil service. There are also two non-executive directors, one with a private sector background, one a chief executive of a local authority.

4. The appointment was made after an open competition overseen by the Office of Civil Service Commissioners to ensure the principles of fair and open competition on merit are observed. The appointment was approved by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

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